Chapter 196: What The Ancient Sages Couldn’t Do, Ning Qi Did
Moments later.
All members of the Chiyang Sect were horrified and prostrated on the ground. A terrifying and unparalleled pressure enveloped the void, and the bone-chilling cold seemed to freeze their souls.
A cold voice suppressing endless rage rang out:
“Heavenly Sword dog thief, you’re courting death!”
The congregation’s minds all went blank.
The Chiyang Martial Saint hurriedly pulled back the Purple Moon Martial Saint who was about to explode in fury. He said in a low voice:
“Little sister Purple Moon, don’t be hasty.”
Pain filled the eyes of the Purple Moon Martial Saint:
“Big brother, we absolutely cannot let this matter rest like this. That Heavenly Sword dog thief severed your arm and even snatched the Great Sun Compass. This is an enmity that blocks the path. No matter what cunning origins he has, little sister must fight him!”
A trace of hatred also rose in the eyes of the Chiyang Martial Saint. He took a deep breath and said:
“This hatred naturally cannot be forgotten, but right now the Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint has just suppressed four Martial Saints and explicitly stated no internal strife. We cannot provoke him at this critical juncture, or else we won’t kill that Heavenly Sword dog thief and will also offend the Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint.”
The Purple Moon Martial Saint looked indignant:
“How can the Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint be so biased? Clearly, that Heavenly Sword dog thief was in the wrong first. If we act this way just to avoid internal strife, I’m afraid it will only be a case of false harmony.”
The Chiyang Martial Saint said:
“There’s no point in saying more now. We just need to quietly wait for an opportunity, wait for a moment when the Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint’s reach falls short, and then suppress and kill the Heavenly Sword dog thief with the power of thunder. At that time, even if the Heaven-Slaying Martial Saint is angry, he will be helpless and can only let the major issue turn into a minor one and the minor one disappear.”
The eyes of the Purple Moon Martial Saint flashed:
“You mean?”
“That’s right, the day of Spiritual Energy Revival!” A trace of bloodthirsty aura appeared in his eyes. “The Martial Saint Blood Rain can just allow us siblings to advance to the next level!”
Immediately after.
He said with some apology:
“But recently, little sister Purple Moon, you will have to endure being low-key for a while to avoid that Heavenly Sword dog thief becoming vigilant. At that time, with us siblings joining forces, we’ll catch him off guard and help you advance to the next level. From now on, we siblings may still have opportunities!”
The Purple Moon Martial Saint nodded and said:
“As long as I can vent your anger, big brother, what does it matter if I hide temporarily?”
The siblings smiled at each other.
And then.
The entire Chiyang Sect received a ban: No one can leak today’s events, or they will suffer the punishment of physical extinction!
No one knew.
That the Purple Moon Martial Saint had already revived and returned, and was hiding in the Chiyang Sect.
…
Seeker’s Courtyard.
A gentle breeze blew past, and the Enlightenment Tea Tree stirred up waves of leaves, lush and verdant, covering the small courtyard. A strange fragrance made one intoxicated.
Ning Qi was meditating with eyes closed in enlightenment.
In his mind, countless spiritual insights were splashing and surging. The results of all the experiments with the Blade Demon during this period were blooming. One spiritual insight after another intertwined, then were sorted out by Ning Qi. That sense of achievement could not be described to outsiders.
Unknowingly.
A wisp of spiritual energy had already appeared at his fingertip.
He opened his eyes, filled with determination. Three Flowers condensed above his head, and this wisp of spiritual energy rushed straight toward them.
This was Ning Qi’s first time trying to refine spiritual energy on his own.
The spiritual energy hovered above his head, but he did not rush to draw it into his body.
Hum!
A peerless Sword Intent shot into the sky, hovering at his side. Vaguely, an invisible sword could be seen. After this Sword Intent appeared, the originally stable spiritual energy showed slight fluctuations. An invisible pulling force emerged, though it was somewhat weak.
But this was not the end.
Following the Sword Intent, a terrifying Saber Intent also rose, keeping pace with the Sword Intent.
The spiritual energy was pulled even more strongly.
Golden light flickered in Ning Qi’s eyes, and his aura erupted throughout his body.
In an instant.
Like bamboo shoots after rain, one Artistic Conception of the Martial Dao after another rose.
There was a spear with piercing intent, a fist that suppressed the world, fire that burned everything, domineering and unparalleled thunder…
Numerous anomalies floated and sank around Ning Qi. Such a grand scene was unseen by anyone.
Myriad Daos Artistic Conceptions was a sight unimaginable to the world.
Ning Qi’s body trembled slightly.
This was not the limit of his comprehension, but it was approaching the limit of his Divine Intent.
“However… it’s enough!”
His eyes were incomparably bright. At this moment, the pulling on that wisp of spiritual energy had reached the limit. It trembled continuously, as if it would collapse in the next instant. Ning Qi could feel some terrifying substance about to be released. The location of the Life Poison had already been pinpointed.
“Refine it for me!”
He roared in his heart.
The next instant.
One Artistic Conception after another turned into a flood and surged into the Three Flowers.
Hum!
With each Artistic Conception merging into them, the Three Flowers trembled a bit, and some wondrous change occurred.
As the last Artistic Conception merged.
The Three Flowers fully bloomed.
Ning Qi felt his spirit reach an extremely unique realm. Vaguely, he sensed an incredibly wondrous power surging from the High Heavens, from every inch of space around him.
Within the Three Flowers, an invisible fire appeared, burning quietly.
Ning Qi acted decisively.
The wisp of spiritual energy that had been waiting and trembling for so long was thrown into it.
Boom!
The invisible fire instantly surged, devouring the spiritual energy. In Ning Qi’s perception, the Life Poison, like maggots on bones, was completely reduced to nothingness under the flame’s burning. The spiritual energy bloomed with an extremely lively aura.
Joy surged in Ning Qi’s heart. With a thought, the purified spiritual energy immediately entered his body, following various wondrous trajectories to merge into one of the Five Viscera, turning into spiritual power. There were none of the terrifying anomalies the Blade Demon had experienced before.
Thus.
It was accomplished.
A smile curved at the corner of Ning Qi’s mouth, with an indescribable sense of achievement.
The Ancient Saints could not do it, but he, Ning Qi, had done it.
“Using Myriad Daos Artistic Conceptions to fuse the Three Flowers and form the Nirvana Origin Fire, connecting to higher-dimensional power to remove the Life Poison—this is… the Myriad Dao Nirvana Origin Method.”
“With this Myriad Dao Nirvana Origin Method, from now on, the spiritual energy I absorb can completely remove the Life Poison. I won’t have to suffer like others. Unfortunately, only I can use this method.”
Myriad Daos Artistic Conceptions were beyond human capability. Only Ning Qi, with his heaven-defying comprehension, could derive myriad methods from one and achieve this.
“However, I still cannot promote to Martial Saint now.”
Simple.
Because the spiritual energy was not dense enough.
In his multiple experiments, Ning Qi had only drawn spiritual energy from the Martial Saint Secret Treasure for fusion. This amount was fine for experiments, but impossible for promoting to Martial Saint. Moreover, he had ambitions to use the impact of Spiritual Energy Revival to break through multiple realms in one go. Fusing a bit of spiritual power now would not help and might even become a burden later.
Ning Qi thought.
The wisp of spiritual energy about to merge into his body was immediately expelled.
Under Ning Qi’s gaze, Life Poison surged into it again from heaven and earth, and the originally purified spiritual energy was polluted once more.
“As expected, if the source is not resolved, the spiritual energy will continue to be polluted. My current Myriad Dao Nirvana Origin Method can only be used by me to purify spiritual energy.”
“However, no rush. Food must be eaten bite by bite. Later, derive a universal method to remove Life Poison, and finally resolve the source of Life Poison in one fell swoop.”
Ning Qi’s aura gradually stabilized. He stood with hands behind his back, looking into the distance.
“Breaking through to Martial Saint is already a piece of cake for me. Deriving a Martial Saint-level Myriad Manifestations Scripture is also simple. The most crucial thing now is to accumulate foundation, striving to break through multiple realms in one go during Spiritual Energy Revival.”
“The King Yu Bead and Great Sun Compass must be fully utilized, turning these two Martial Saint Secret Treasures into my foundation. Additionally, see if there are other ways to strengthen my foundation.”
“Also, simplify the Myriad Dao Nirvana Origin Method a bit, so that Master and the others can learn it. The effect will at least be better than the secret technique the Mysterious Turtle senior gave me.”
“Furthermore, Tian Sheng and Little Ten. They might awaken during Spiritual Energy Revival, so secret techniques must be prepared for them.”
After sorting out what to do next, Ning Qi’s mood became much more relaxed.
As for now.
He still had one thing to do.
That was to share this fruit of victory with the Blade Demon.
The Blade Demon had paid a lot, enduring Life Poison erosion multiple times. The physical pain alone was extremely severe, and his lifespan had been greatly reduced. Most importantly, he could not learn the finally completed Myriad Dao Nirvana Origin Method.
Although the Blade Demon did not mind, Ning Qi felt somewhat guilty.
That night.
Ning Qi and the Blade Demon drank three hundred cups under the moon.
The Blade Demon marveled at Ning Qi’s world-shocking wisdom and was delighted that his suffering had not been in vain.
…
Time slowly passed.
Ancient Saints of the world gradually returned, each occupying a region.
There were few Ancient Saints, but accumulated, they divided two or three tenths of the territory within Great Yan’s borders. This was a huge impact on the Great Yan Dynasty, but since the Great Yan Martial Saint did not speak, those below could only adapt to the changes.
After all.
Even the Great Yan Martial Saint could not ignore all the Martial Saints.
For him.
Preserving most of the territory was already good.
Even so, many Martial Arts Sects had turned to the Ancient Saints. As long as one was not a fool, they realized something big was coming. Clinging to the Great Yan Dynasty might yield nothing, but joining an Ancient Saint might allow them to get firsthand news and sip the soup.
Winds and clouds changed in the world, with undercurrents surging.
In just over half a year, forces like the Demonic Sect that had led the trend were nowhere to be seen. Countless people sighed in their hearts; the changes were too fast, too fast.
And in a territory ignored by many.
The outskirts of the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
A land shrouded in miasma.
Unique stilted building villages stood tall, with drum towers and altars dotted among them. Ox horns, animal hides, and other decorations hung in front of the buildings.
This was the true Core Land of the Southern Border Alliance, unknown to outsiders. Without the corresponding solution, even Heavenly Human Realm Experts had to fear those terrifying miasmas. This was also the capital on which Southern Border relied for survival. Previously occupied by the largest tribe, after forming the alliance, it was contributed as the Southern Border Ancestral Land.
But recently.
The atmosphere in this Southern Border Ancestral Land was somewhat stagnant.
Only because.
After disappearing for a period, the Southern Border Saintess Lan Yiyi had caused a big problem!
When preparing to sacrifice her to the Gu God, they discovered that Lan Yiyi was missing half her lifespan.
Ancestral Land Altar.
Figures with powerful auras gathered nearby, all looking at the figure bound on the Dragon-Trapping Frame in the center of the altar with hateful eyes.
The elder of the Hong tribe, Hong Yan, roared in anger:
“Lan Yiyi, you wretch! Quickly say, where is the other half of your lifespan? If you delay the Gu God’s great matter, you will be Southern Border’s eternal sinner!”
Lan Yiyi on the Dragon-Trapping Frame opened her eyes and glanced at him disdainfully:
“If you have the ability, kill me.”
Hong Yan flew into a thunderous rage.
During these days, the alliance had used every method, but Lan Yiyi refused to speak. Until today, they brought her to the altar.
“You think I really dare not kill you?”
“If you dared, you wouldn’t have kept me alive these past few months. I guess, if you killed me, your great Gu God wouldn’t be able to fully fuse the Blood Emperor Gu, right?” Lan Yiyi said lightly, yet it made the congregation’s breathing quicken.
She had grasped their vital point.
Back then, when she went up True Martial Mountain to save Qin Yun, it was partly due to an inexplicable affection in her heart, and partly for self-preservation.
If she hadn’t used the Life-Sharing Gu to give half her lifespan.
She would probably be dead by now.
But she knew that even so, it was just a delaying tactic.
Hong Yan took a deep breath and suddenly revealed a cold smile:
“Very well, you’re not afraid of death, then how about this?”
He clapped his hands.
One by one, ugly people emitting an extreme stench walked in line. Some had dull gazes, some drooled, some had deformed limbs or mutilated bodies, all barely clothed. But at this moment, they all stared fixedly at Lan Yiyi, their eyes turning red, starting to pant heavily.
“Guess if they can serve you well, Your Highness Saintess?” Hong Yan enunciated each word, gritting his teeth, because some time ago, his son had been killed by Lan Yiyi in a dispute.
A chill surged in Lan Yiyi’s heart, but her expression remained unchanged:
“Defiling me is defiling your Gu God.”
Hong Yan sneered ferociously:
“Gu God has already spoken; he only needs your Life Essence. As for whether your body is intact, he doesn’t care.”
Lan Yiyi’s gaze trembled, then she slowly closed her eyes, unwilling to say more.
“I’ll give you ten breaths. These ‘good fellows’ can’t wait any longer!” Hong Yan shouted coldly, surrounded by heavy panting sounds.
“Ten!”
“Nine!”
…
Each count was accompanied by a heavy drumbeat, as if striking Lan Yiyi’s heart.
The congregation around showed some reluctance.
Originally, Lan Yiyi was highly respected in the alliance, and many couldn’t bear to see her fall to such a state, her dignity swept away. But there was no way; if the Gu God awoke after fusing the Blood Emperor Gu and found Lan Yiyi’s Life Essence incomplete, the consequences would be more severe.
They had little time left and could only resort to force.
“Saintess, just say it. Sacrificing to Gu God is not a bad thing; many crave such an opportunity but can’t get it.”
Someone advised softly.
But Lan Yiyi remained silent.
“Four!”
“Three!”
Hong Yan’s right hand was raised high, ready to swing down.
The surrounding panting sounds rose and fell like rabid wolves and mad dogs. It was unimaginable what fate awaited Lan Yiyi if these people were unleashed.
“Two!”
Hong Yan sneered ferociously.
Then a massive explosion resounded in the Ancestral Land.
“Boom!”
“Kill! For Her Highness the Saintess!”
With these shouts of killing, the congregation looked in horror to see figures with powerful auras charging from all directions. Hong Yan looked shocked at Lan Yiyi, only to see her slowly open her eyes:
“Did you really think this Saintess has been idling all these years?”
Her aura suddenly erupted.
The Dragon-Trapping Frame shattered.
The gift from the Gu God back then had given her strength far surpassing her peers. Now, that strength became the key to her escape.
Hong Yan was about to act.
Fluctuations of Heaven and Earth Power came from both sides, forcing him to dodge hastily. Among the elders judging Lan Yiyi, there were traitors!
Hong Yan roared in fury:
“Kill! Kill these traitors for me!”
A great battle erupted instantly, turning the entire Southern Border Ancestral Land into an Asura field.
Heaven and Earth Power exploded continuously, drum towers reduced to powder one after another.
Protected by her loyal followers, Lan Yiyi broke out toward the outside. She scanned her surroundings, her heart filled with urgency.
Choosing to rebel today was because she had confirmed the Gu God had entered deep slumber—this was her only chance.
Though she had made many arrangements over the years, painstakingly building her own force, her current advantage was largely due to catching them off guard. Once the elders reacted, they would surely not be opponents.
“Must escape immediately!”
Lan Yiyi had no intention of fighting. Under the cover of her loyal followers and the Lan tribe, she fled swiftly toward outside the Ancestral Land.
Previously, she couldn’t escape because of the mark in her body, inescapable to the ends of the earth. But now the mark was removed; as long as she survived today, she would be free as a bird in the vast sky.
